U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 27 he would review Iran’s latest peace proposal comprising 14 points, but expressed doubt it could lead to a deal as both sides keep escalating tensions.
According to the Tasnim news agency, Iran’s 14-point proposal sent to Washington calls for: guarantees of non-aggression, lifting of sanctions, removal of the U.S. naval blockade, and ending the war “on all fronts,” including Lebanon. Tehran also wants to postpone nuclear talks to a later stage – an issue Trump has called a “red line.”
Iran wants to focus on ending the war rather than extending a ceasefire, and to resolve all issues within 30 days (while Washington proposed a two-month ceasefire).
Despite the diplomatic signal, Trump did not rule out a resumption of conflict: “If they do something bad, the possibility of that happening exists.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared itself ready for renewed war and considers a U.S. resumption of hostilities “likely,” saying “evidence shows the U.S. is not committed to any agreement.”
On the Lebanon front, Israel carried out 50 airstrikes within 24 hours on southern Lebanon despite an Israel–Lebanon ceasefire that took effect on April 16. At least 41 people were killed, bringing the total death toll since the Israel–Hezbollah conflict escalated on March 2 to 2,659. The Israeli army also ordered the evacuation of 12 towns/villages and acknowledged hitting a Catholic “religious building.”
Militarily, the U.S. approved major arms deals worth $8.6 billion for Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Israel; and seeks to establish an international naval coalition called the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC) to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz – which Iran has effectively blockaded since February 28.
President Trump also stated that the U.S. troop withdrawal from Germany could go well beyond 5,000 soldiers as tensions between the two allies grow over the Iran war.
